This web
site contains over 100 reports covering municipal, school, and other government
entities. These reports include evaluation of over 30 areas found in local
government in urban, suburban, and rural areas.

ORIGIN

The
Local Government Budget Review Program was created in 1994 and placed in
the Office of the State Treasurer. The program was planned to provide a
voluntary process for municipalities and school districts to gain assistance
in controlling their costs. The performance reviews focus on the issues
driving the cost of local services in an effort to gain control over those
costs. The reviews were provided at no cost to the local entity with the
recommendations and observations produced during the review were offered
as voluntary recommendations for consideration by local elected officials.

RESOURCES

Small teams of state and former local employees, under the leadership and
direction of experienced local government practitioners, undertook the local
reviews. The team leaders were recruited for this purpose from among the
ranks of experienced New Jersey municipal and education practitioners in
order to ensure that the recommendations contained in the reports were practical,
workable solutions to local issues. The viability and credibility of the
recommendations contained in the reports have proven to be a great significance
to the ultimate success of this project. Many state agencies and departments
provided support for the review teams. This innovative effort on the part
of state government to harness the professional expertise of all state agencies
to assist in the delivery of local government services has proven to be
extremely successful and valuable to the state agencies involved and the
local entities served.

REVIEW PROCESS

Performance reviews begin with an analysis of the organization
including a historical review of annual financial statements, operating
budgets, independent financial audits, collective bargaining agreements,
personnel policies and other written procedures and policies. During the
field review, a team of analysts conducted interviews of all elected officials,
department directors, key staff, independent contractors and members of
the public. These interviews attempted to assess operating policies and
procedures and measure the effectiveness of the entities in identifying
and reaching their objectives. The field analysts physically visited appropriate
facilities and made observations relating to the implementation of policies
and procedures and the effectiveness of the staff in delivering services.
As issues were raised during the course of interviews, the field analysts
tapped the full spectrum of the state's resources in an effort to identify
and quantify opportunities for improvement. Following the six to eight week
interview and observation component of the fieldwork, staff evaluated their
observations and worked to develop alternatives for the entity. The analysis
attempted to provide specific insight and guidance to the individual entity
to ease the implementation of the recommendations presented.

New Jerseyans deserve the best government their tax dollars
can provide. Efficiency in government and a common sense approach to the
way government does business, both at the state and at the local level,
are important. It means taxpayers should get a dollar's worth of service
for every dollar they send to the government, whether it goes to Trenton,
their local town hall, or the school board. Government on all levels must
stop thinking that money is the solution to their problems and start examining
how they spend the money they now have. It is time for government to do
something different.

Of major concern is the rising cost of local government.
There is no doubt that local government costs and the property taxes that
pay for them have been rising steadily over the past decade. The Local Government
Budget Review (LGBR) program was simple: to help local governments and school
boards find savings and efficiencies without compromising the delivery of
services to the public.

The Local Government Budget Review ceased operations on January 25, 2002